At Peace and Free

I dreamt I had a garden

in the backyard of a home

that doesn’t actually exist.

It wasn’t a large garden, 

and it wasn’t a large home, 

but I was content and I was proud.

The yard was mostly well kept,

but not the garden—

It was overgrown,

and I couldn’t walk the plotted path.

The weeds had taken it over.

I could see that the produce was plenty,

though I couldn’t recall

what was planted.

I could see something

that looked like cabbage.

I wanted badly to tend the garden,

to do something healthy

that I would enjoy, 

though I knew that first 

the weeds must be cleared.

But the day had grown too dark,

and I needed equipment

that I didn’t yet have,

so I would need to be patient.

And I was not only at peace—

I was free.

Rachel Armes is a program coordinator in the Institute for Digital Health and Innovation at UAMS.